Canadian Arctic Watch, Muskoxen & Polar Bears

Arrive independently to Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories, and make your way to the Explorer hotel for your included overnight stay. This evening there will be a briefing and distribution of parkas and boots.

Today, board your private chartered plane to fly the 1,000 miles (1,500 km) to Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge. During the 3-hour flight, you’ll pass over the treeline as you cross the Arctic Circle. Upon arrival in the afternoon, the team will show you around the lodge and its unique surroundings and there will be time to settle into your cabin before your first dinner in the Arctic. A short pre-dinner hike up to the local mountain will also be offered, and those who choose to partake will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Northwest Passage and the ice formations of the Arctic ocean.

After a hot breakfast this morning, you will take an ATV drive on the tundra. Attend a hands-on introduction to all-terrain vehicles followed by a short drive to the badlands of Somerset. The area is a distinctive grazing around for muskoxen denoted by salt deposits. The flora, combined with the natural salt deposits attract muskoxen herds. Spend the afternoon following and photographing muskoxen.

In August bull muskoxen will battle for breeding rights in the herd. These fights can often be heard from big distances - males colliding heads at 60km/h. Female muskoxen (and young) will often nearly stand in observation. The area is also home to foxes and snowy owls.

This morning you will join a scenic ATV drive, with spectacular views and the probability of some musk ox and Arctic fox sightings along the way, across the Cunningham River delta to Muskox Ridge.

Deep peat moss and sedge grasses will attract residential muskoxen to spend most of the summer feeding in this area. Herds will wander between feeding sites - looking for the best foliage to graze on. Spending the day hiking the ridge and surrounding area, our goal is to follow and photograph the local herds. An arctic fox den in the vicinity can often have denning kits and snowy owls are known to hunt lemmings in this area.

Today, we head onto the Northwest Passage to track polar bears. Climbing aboard our helicopter, we'll spend the day travelling and stopping to hike areas along the coast where autumn pack ice begins to collect. These areas are often inhabited by polar bears, who are actively hunting seals. Beautiful floating pack ice, the scree slopes of Somerset and the open waters of the Northwest passage are in themselves jaw-dropping. It's also the time of year that narwhal are migrating through. These quiet and gentle marine creatures are often best observed from hill sides on the Northwest Passage or from the air.

Daily excursions led by the Arctic team at Arctic Watch focus on observing, photographing and encountering the animals of Somerset and the Northwest Passage. Guests are provided the best opportunities to photograph unique moments and are welcome to bring handheld and drone based photographic equipment (under the guidance of our team to ensure we don't disturb any Arctic animals).

This morning there will be time for one more adventure of your choice, whether that’s trying a new activity or having another go at something you have tried earlier in the week, before boarding your private charter flight back to Yellowknife. Upon arrival back in Yellowknife, you will transfer to the Explorer hotel for your included overnight stay.

The following morning signals the end of your Arctic Watch itinerary and it will be time to take your onward or homeward flights.